


A star shines on the hour of our meeting

by kindfrodo



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Love at First Sight, Sapphic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:29:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27704159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindfrodo/pseuds/kindfrodo
Summary: Éowyn never knew someone could beam so brightly and Arwen never knew someone so tender could exist at the same time as her after so many lonely years of life on earth.
Relationships: Arwen Undómiel & Éowyn
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. A thread of light

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after the war of the ring, where Arwen and Éowyn finally met after the storm at Aragorn’s coronation. I had to change some things that are canon in the book in order to make this work, so most definitely some inaccuracies are meant to be that way. To avoid spreading the harmful trope of sapphics cheating on their male partners to be with women, neither of them end up with their original love interests by the end of the war. Instead, Arwen declines Aragorn’s love long before he departs and Éowyn just feels pressured to marry Faramir as her duty.
> 
> I apologize in advance for any writing mistakes since english is not my first language and this is my first attempt to write something that is not academic papers or poetry.

At last, Aragorn was going to be crowned king of Gondor, for that he gathered everyone who was part of the victory that saved Middle-Earth; elves, men and dwarves were to be there among all the people of the citadel. Everyone was preparing everything to see Elendil’s heir finally take back his rightful place at the throne of the city.

While everyone was busy with their deeds, Éowyn felt uneasy that morning with the amount of people going back and forth before her eyes, her hands were trembling and her heart felt heavy among all the strangers, before her breath started going short she decided it was best to look for Merry since he was the only one who will understand her anxiousness. She looked for him through all the halls until she reached the main courtyard and her eyes set on a small figure that belonged to Pippin, he seemed so joyful and was chatting with a group of men of the City Guard that were very amused by his words. 

"Master Peregrin, may I have a word?" said Éowyn with a stern and firm voice. 

"Hullo, my lady, of course" he said and turned back to the men "Excuse me for a second." 

"By chance have you seen Merry around?" said she with a softened voice this time, her lips pressed together, trying her best to smile. 

"I saw him around the garden with Frodo and Sam about an hour ago, is everything alright?" 

"All well, it's just that it will do me good to see a couple of familiar faces around all this chaos." 

"I could help you find them, just give me-" 

"No, no, you have been very helpful already, keep enjoying yourself, I am deeply grateful" she touched his shoulder and gave a sincere smile this time, with that she turned around swiftly in hopes he wouldn't try to follow and bother himself further with it.

The uneasiness made her turn end up being faster and less balanced than she intended and as soon as her head was looking around, her reflexes made her put her hands in front as she grasped from the corner of her eye the shape of a big white horse. The horse halted nervously at her touch and as she tried to calm it down with gentle touches, her head looked up to see the person who it belonged to. 

A light started to stir her pupils, a brightness she had never experienced before was coming into her glance. Ethereal was the face that was looking down back at her, the deep and rich brown skin gleamed with a warm and golden sparkle under the sun, a pair of black irises that looked like the infinite night sky and that contained the secrets of the universe were piercing her soul as they look through hers. 

With that a light started pouring from both ends, a small thread connected before their eyes and as if floating underwater, she felt the face getting nearer and nearer as a sudden warmth began to fill her chest like she was being embraced by the sun herself. But so suddenly she felt the floor crumbling underneath and the face began to drift so far away before her when she had to return back to the moment at the sound of a voice.

“Are you alright?” Arwen asked in elvish and without understanding, Éowyn just kept staring back at her not knowing what to reply, her lungs still not cooperating to give way to air and when she was finally going to say something, the rider felt the line getting delayed behind her so she just kept moving forward. She turned her head to the sight of a perplexed face and the mail shining under the sun, she kept looking until she disappeared under the gate. 

✿

The evening feast was about to begin and all the people invited were gathered around the main halls to begin the celebration, people were merrily drinking and eating and dancing, some still talking about the great deeds and stories of the hobbits as Éowyn could overhear while she was still trying to find them and stick to them for as long as possible that night, for she felt so terribly lonely around so many unfamiliar faces.

After everything felt dull, she was holding a glass of wine and giving small sips, faintly listening to Pippin and Merry rambling about something she was no longer paying attention to, she felt like something was missing and unconsciously she started searching through the faces of the crowd, all seem undeniably happy in their way, either dancing or sharing a pleasant conversation, even the elves, which to her seem like the type of not knowing how to have fun and relax.

And during her long search for something, _she_ was there, standing so tall and proud and mesmerizing, she emanated this strong presence that could be felt miles round and still as radiant as she was that morning but with a different type of iridescence under the candle lights and when she laughed everyone seem to stop what they were doing to catch a glance and a listen. But unexpectedly that laugh turned slowly and her face began to harden, eyebrows started to furrow together and her face looked to the floor for a brief moment of hurt but again she lifted her face tall and left the group of elves, none of them went after her. 

This vision made her heart ache for she didn’t know what have happened but seeing her from the other side of the room having to leave the people she came to the celebration with just made her want to leave even more now, with that she finished the wine in her cup and said farewell to her friends, explaining all she needed for the moment was a bed to rest on.

✿

For reasons unknown Éowyn could not conciliate sleep that night, after spending a lot of time watching from her window she decided to leave her room to walk aimlessly through the now empty halls until she reached the main garden that was filled with moonlight. The wood-elves have done an amazing job with dressing the city in green, every corner was filled with flowers and leaves but their gardens were something that looked like they came out of a dream, just full of soft glimmer everywhere.

While marveling at everything in it, she saw a dazzling figure sitting by the side of the pond with unresting hands and slender fingers gripping the sides of the gown with strength, almost angrily. Unsure of what to do, she took a moment to decide whether to leave or approach, for she didn’t want to bother anyone so late in the night but something inside her made her stay, so she went through the garden and sat beside that figure. 

“Pardon the interruption, my lady, but are you alright?” said Éowyn, looking at Arwen’s face that was so bright with moonlight despite her anger.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” she shrugged her shoulders while she kept looking at the pond.

“I do not know much about elven lore but I don’t think elves come out in the middle of the night seeking moonlight to tear the sides of their garments out of wrath” said she while setting her glance directly at the other’s hands and with this Arwen softened the grip she been holding unconsciously for a time now.

“No, we don’t. But we often come to the moon for advice or healing.”

“And what has the moon offered you tonight? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Just a quiet but reliable company that will come handy for the next weeks in this big city.”

They both remained quiet for a brief moment and Éowyn tried to look for something to set her eyes on, so she looked up where the moon was to gain courage before she said something unsure and nervously, “I could be your companion during your stay, if you allow me to and if you don't find the proposal distasteful."

“I do not need rehearsed manners or pity from no one, I know you were looking at me when I abruptly left the hall this evening” said Arwen really sharply after remembering everything that happened earlier, her face hardening again at the thought of it. And this really took Éowyn by surprise, this sudden comment made her shake a little but at last she dared to look at Arwen in the face, she could see the fire of frustration in her and with this, as if driven by her heart said: “Pity is the last thing I could feel for you, when you are so mesmerizingly strong-spirited.”

At these words, Arwen was disrupted from her anger and turned to try to search for her eyes under the light of the night sky, the sudden movement made Éowyn set her gaze on the moon once again, quietly and softly she spoke once more: “The first time I looked at you, I felt like the world might end at that very instant, the insides of the earth beneath my feet were rumbling like thunder. Like everything in the whole city would crumble before our eyes but you, and only you would be there from above everything beaming so brightly to see all fall apart. You cannot be belittled or be put down by nothing or no one, regardless how much they try.”

For a moment, Arwen’s chest emptied completely and grew so full in a flash, she was still trying to find something on the shieldmaiden’s face in hopes she could get another reply but they both remained silent until Éowyn, with her eyes still on the moon, abruptly rose and deeply bowed. “Goodnight, my lady Arwen Undómiel” said she softly and began to make her way through the garden and so Arwen was left there puzzled, since she didn’t remember mentioning her name before, with a confused expression she followed the silhouette and the glittering golden hair with her eyes until they disappeared under one of the entrances.


	2. Daring encounters

The next day Arwen was dwelling around the place still thinking about the last words she heard the night before, remembering how each one made her feel and in waves came the overwhelming need to see those reassuring and kind green eyes again. She left her alcove after she felt it was no longer big enough for her thoughts and began to walk around everywhere in hopes to distract herself for a moment.

She had gone through the garden many times and every empty hall she could find, as she walked through a balcony she saw bright golden hair under the sun from a really tall and stern figure bearing a sword, answering the strikes of someone in front of them with so much skill and fearless spirit. Every movement that came from them looked effortlessly and magnificent like the ones that were talked about in songs, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw the face tinted in pink as a result of the efforts and movement. 

✿

When Éowyn had a lot on her mind she liked to train to help her ease tension, so after breakfast she asked Merry and Pippin if they would want to help her train to keep her condition during their staying, that by Aragorn's invitation, would be at least a couple of weeks. They gathered the equipment and began to make their way to an empty courtyard near the kitchen, then they were going back and forth on each other, shortening their space with their body and their swords, Éowyn thought how Merry had amazingly improved since the first time they trained together, until they were interrupted by the sound of a daring voice. 

“May I? Or am I too intimidating for the third Marshal of the Mark of Rohan?” said Arwen defiantly with a smirk on her face. 

Nothing prepared Éowyn for this duel, after yesterday she thought she would never talk to her again, in her mind everything she said the night before in a moment of unconscious honesty had made the lady so uncomfortable that she said nothing in response. But there she was with a sword in hand and her long raven hair blowing under the morning breeze, ready for combat. They took their places in front of each other and Pippin gave a sign to start with his hand.

They were still their places trying to read each other’s next move but after a prolonged moment of no action Arwen decided to charge forward to start the movement going, with this sudden move Éowyn began to block the strikes so she could not give in ground to her opponent. The metal was clashing back and forth in an effort to drain each other’s energy but both of them were too eager to answer each strike with a considerable strength as if trying to prove something. Then the swords remained together making pressure as if trying to knock down the other from their feet and with this their eyes met and held there for a considerable moment.

“Your skills are very impressive for someone who is so quiet and softly spoken” said Arwen in a strong voice and in between breathy sounds trying to hold on the weight of the other sword in front of her, she spinned swiftly and made her opponent give ground for a moment but again their swords keep on pressing without any of them actually moving from their spot. 

“Well, my lady” said Éowyn with a small pause and after a small groan “you don’t need to do much talking to strike on the right mark.” And suddenly with another movement Arwen was the one giving ground this time but not for long for she was even more eager to reply now.

“Indeed, but what about words of endearment and passionate talking to strike on the right mark?” 

Éowyn’s eyes trembled a little after hearing that and her knees felt weak for a second, just after one swift move from Arwen, she was laying on the floor with a small cut on one of her cheeks. Arwen widened her eyes and dropped her sword the instant she saw her opponent in the ground and kneeled by her side she could just say “I beg your forgiveness, it was never my intention to do you harm, are you injured?” with a voice full of concern. 

“My ankle and shoulder may be slightly sprained but other than that I think everything is alright” she replied between soft breathy groans while she was trying to get up and in a moment, Merry came running to her side to try and help while he insisted on calling someone from the Houses of Healing so they could take care of her. 

But Arwen insisted even more she was at fault and she should be the one to mend it by taking care of her personally instead, so she made Merry help her to take Éowyn to her room and sent Pippin over to find some herbs and instruments to begin with the healing process. When they finally reached her alcove they helped the patient lay on bed, when the other hobbit arrived with everything she started preparing the ointment and they both left so the lady of Rivendell could start. 

She was swiftly moving around the room, completely focused on what she was doing until she heard a soft groan and the tinkling sound of mail. “Let me help you with that” said Arwen, trying to remove the mail and padded shirt without hurting her shoulder any further. The ongoing pain had made Éowyn be covered with a small drizzle of sweat all over and under the bright and warm sun that came from the window, she seemed to glimmer all over, to Arwen the small drops looked like small sparkling stars delicately placed over her strong toned arms and shoulders.

In a moment they were face to face, for Arwen started drying the sweat from her face with a soft cloth, noticing how the shieldmaiden’s high cheeks were lightly tinted in pink again, after that she took her time massaging the wounded areas with the prepared ointment before start putting all the bandages firmly but with care. During all this time spent on the healing process Éowyn didn't dare to say a word or at least as long as Arwen's soft silky hands were lingering her skin, so a silence prolonged between them until she finally said: “Where did you learn healing? The ointment preparation and the bandage, my shoulder feels a lot more at ease already.”

At this question Arwen smiled and with a beam in her eyes and unconsciously laying her hand on Éowyn’s forearm she said “From my kindred, for we value all knowledge, we have always had this constant desire to learn and always had fondness for the crafts that were conceived from our hands, including healing. We devote our love for nature and the things that grow in it, as well as the desire to understand the properties within them.” Then as if snapping back to reality she noticed her hand on her forearm and then her gaze went directly to the green eyes in front of her.

For the one laying in bed, she felt like she was no longer laying down and everything was spinning after those words went through her ears, Arwen seemed so bright and distant, like a vision or a revelation in a dream and with their eyes meeting, hers stayed fixed on them more than necessary and after feeling speechless, a jolt of shiver travel through her spine and words escaped her mouth. 

“Trees must be very blessed and favored then, to be able to catch a glance at you every chance they get,” she paused for a moment as if breath got caught in her throat “and to be held by you and loved by you until the end of time.” Everything seemed to stopped for a moment and unconsciously something began to draw their hands together, slowly lingering for a touch but before they could reach, the room was disrupted by the sound of the door, Faramir came in a hurry with a worried expression on his face. 


End file.
